Table 50 restaurant in Roanoke, Va offers delicious fare in a relaxed urban inspired environment. The cooper topped tables, dark oak paneled walls, and large inviting bar make for a fabulous evening of dining and drinks with friends. Our table of four shared the Pulled Pork BBQ in puff pastry with goat cheese and smoked corn appetizer ($8.00) which made for a wonderful start to the evening meal. The Mixed Baby Green House Salad with miso vinaigrette ($6.00) was quite tasty and my friends’ Herb Baked Goat Cheese Salad with Spiced Nuts, Apples, and Dried Cherries ($7.00) was equally satisfying. For the main course I ordered Blackened "Ahi" Tuna over Andouille Sausage Risotto with Crawfish Cream Sauce and Market Vegetables ($24.00) which was absolutely the best prepared and finest tasting Ahi that I’ve enjoyed in a very long time. My companions ordered Seared Atlantic Salmon over Fingerling Potatoes, Haricot Verts and Chicago Butter Sauce ($21), Certified Angus 14oz. N.Y. Strip Steak, Sauteed Asparagus and Gauefrette Potatoes ($26) and Maytag Blue Filet Mignon with Sauce Bordelaise, Haricot Verts and Apple Potato Gratin ($30) which received rave reviews from all diners. While we were tempted by the desserts our appetizer, salads, and main course meals were so generously portioned that we couldn’t eat another bite. The only improvement for the meal was the rather mediocre loaf of sour dough bread that lacked the type of inspiration that was clearly evident in the rest of the prepared food.

Desite having made reservations almost a week in advance, the hostess initially tried to put us in a cramped two seat spot next to another group where it felt like we were part of that group (it would have been an intimate seat if the other table had not been a foot and a half away from us). We asked if they could move us to another table, and hesitantly they said yes, though we would have to wait, despite the fact that there was at least one table open at that time. We sat at the bar and had a couple of glasses of wine. While two other couples were seated that came in after us, we waited. I ordered the check from the bar (they didn't bother to offer a complimentary coctail, which they didn't have to, but it would have been nice under the circumstances) and we were getting ready to go somewhere else when they finally seated us. The waitress was wonderful and very helpful. The appetizers (New Orleans Style Barbeque Shrimp and Scallops in a creamy sauce) were very good, but that's where it ended. I love ribeye steak and they had a ribeye on special, but it was about as bland a steak as I had ever eaten.

In short, I did not get a good first impression from the restaurant. I thought it was going to be a bit more upscale in service, but the service was mediocre, and the only thing that raised it to mediocre was the very good service from our waitress. I will probably try it again sometime to see if it was just a one time experience, but I will go in with a bit of skepticism.

Excellent food, but limited menu.